North Central Telephone Cooperative is celebrating 65 years of service in a big way, becoming Tennessee’s first Gig-Capable Provider to be certified by NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.

The cooperative, whose services include Internet, television and cloud computing, recently welcomed industry leaders to Lafayette, Tennessee, to mark its gigabit milestone. Speaking at the Lafayette City Hall, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said broadband Internet access is critical for the future of rural development, and that NCTC is one of the telcos making it a reality.

“Broadband is not just a technology; it’s a platform for opportunity,” Rosenworcel told a crowd of more than 100 locals gathered for NCTC’s Gigabit Certification ceremony. “It is an essential part of civic and commercial life. No matter who you are or where you live, in Washington or Tennessee or anywhere else, access to modern communications is what you need for a fair shot at 21st-century success.”

Rosenworcel headlined the ceremony, in which NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield presented North Central CEO Nancy White with a plaque recognizing the cooperative as a certified Gig-Capable Provider. Lafayette Mayor Richard Driver also spoke at the event.

Bloomfield explained that the certification program was part of a national campaign to recognize telcos bringing advanced services to rural America — and that so far NCTC was one of only 50 telcos to receive the designation out of the nation’s 900 independent providers.

Each of the speakers at the event acknowledged that the strength of NCTC’s network goes far beyond its technical specifications to what it enables local people to do. “It’s not just the technology and what the speeds are; it’s about what it does for the community,” Rosenworcel said.

In accepting the certification, White thanked the NCTC board for its leadership and the cooperative’s employees for their hard work the past five years in building a fiber network that has made such high-speed connections possible.

Earlier in the day, Rosenworcel and Bloomfield met with local medical personnel and school officials to learn how NCTC’s network is improving their operations. They also heard from local students. “They know that if they, too, want a fair shot in the digital economy,” Rosenworcel said, “they need to be able to access the Internet at home at high speeds — to learn, to watch videos, to engage, to take classes, to apply for scholarships and to build their future.”

White said the certification was the perfect way to begin its 65 anniversary. “It’s wonderful to see all the changes that have taken place at NCTC just in the past few years,” she said. “I’m so proud of all the hard work done by our employees to build and implement our new broadband network. It’s satisfying to see the vast improvements, but it’s even more exciting to think about how different North Central’s communities will look 10 years from now, when we celebrate our 75th anniversary.”